Advertising clock



Sept. 5, 1961 A. N. MOINTIRE 2,998,664

ADVERTISING CLOCK Filed June 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Andrew N. Ma lnf/re ZNVENTOR.

p 5, 1961 A. N. MOINTIRE 2,998,664

ADVERTISING CLOCK Filed June 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Andrew N- Mc/n/fl' k INVENTOK.

Patented Sept. 5, 1961 V H 2,998,664 ADVERTISING CLOCK U Andrew N. Mclntire, 406 S. Sequoia St., Rs'w ell, N. Mex. Filed June 8, 1959, Ser. No. 818,769 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-43) This invention relates to exhibiting devices and more particularly to a device for exhibiting advertising.

An object of the invention is to provide an advertising device in the form of an interesting and attractive cabinet preferably supporting a clock in a focal point thereof and having one or more, preferably a pair of display rotors on each side of the clock.

Briefly, the cabinet is sectioned into several compartments, the two compartments which flank a central compartment, containing a pair of rotors adapted to rotate about approximately vertical axes. There are in each rotor a pair of panels at right angles to each other presenting four advertising surfaces for each rotor, and the rotors are preferably actuated at a speed enabling the advertising material to be viewed and read with no difiiculty.

The clock in the advertising device is at the focal point thereof, and there is additional space between the clocks lower edge and the bottom of the advertising device on which to accommodate other material to be exhibited, for example advertisements.

Not only is the device especially useful for exhibiting advertising material, but also it may be used for exhibiting any other material, for example, it may be used as an educational device for children and for other purposes.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of an advertising device in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the advertising device of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of the lower bearing of one of the rotors.

In the accompanying drawings there is an advertising device 1d constructed to exemplify the principles of the invention. This advertising device includes a cabinet 12 having a bottom wall 14, two side walls 16 and 18, a rear Wall 20 and a top wall 22 formed in segmental steps 24, 26 and 28. The center segmental step 24 is at an elevation higher than steps 26 and 28, and there are triangular trim panels 30 and 32 at the front edges of steps 26 and 28 to provide a finished appearance.

Vertical partitions 34 and 36 are joined to the rear wall it), the bottom wall 14 and to top wall steps 26 and 28. These partitions separate the cabinet into three compartments 38, 40 and 42 with the compartment 40 being horizontally sub-divided by partition 44 that is secured to partitions 34 and 66 (FIGURE 5). Compartment 40, therefore, contains an upper portion or clock compartment 4% and a lower portion 50. Front wall 52 for compartment portion 50 is secured to the bottom wall 14 and the front edge of partition 44 thereby providing an exhibiting surface 56 at the front of the cabinet. This exhibiting surface contains space for advertising or other material to be exhibited. It is located below clock 58 and clock compartment 48 and is framed by trim 60 extending around three sides of compartment 40 and four sides of compartments 38 and 42 at the front face thereof.

Compartments 33 and 42 are occupied by a pair of identical rotors 66 and 6S. Rotor 68 is shown in detail in FIGURE 4 and consists of a rectangular panel 70 with the frame 72 at the edges thereof. The panel 70 is mounted for rotation about a vertical or generally upright axis established by shaft 74 to which the panel is connected. The lower end of shaft 74 has a partially spherical bearing 78 disposed in partially spherical seat 89, and the seat is disposed in an oil cup 82 that is countersunk in bottom wall 14. Cover plate 84 having a central aperture through which the lower part of shaft 74 extends, is attached by screws 88 to the wall 14 and overlies bearing seat 33 and the cup 82.

The upper end of shaft 74 is attached to the shaft 90 of an electric motor 92. This motor is mounted on step 26, and shaft 911 extends through an aperture 94 in this step. Resilient means are operatively connected on shaft 74 for resiliently mounting the panel 70. The resilient means consists of an upper spring 96 hearing on a washer 98 that seats on the upper edge of frame 72. The spring also seats on a washer 100 which bears against transverse pin M52 attached to shaft 99 so that the bias of the spring is in a di ection tending to seat downwardly on washer 98 which is disposed on panel frame 72. A covering 164, for instance, light cloth or a flexible fabric or plastic covering, is on spring 96 merely to conceal the spring. A lower spring 198 reacts on a washer that is mounted on shaft 74 and which bears against the lower edge of frame 72.. Spring 168 also bears on washer 112 which is disposed on the upper edge of a sleeve 114 which is also concentrically disposed on shaft 74. Spring cover 116 is mounted on the spring 108.

Sleeve 114 is a sleeve formed transversely across the lower panel 118 which is identical in all respects to panel 1 7, execept that it is mounted at right angles to panel 7 Consequently, spring 1418 not only forms a resilient seat for panel 76 but also resiliently bears against the upper edge of the lower panel 118. The lower edge of panel 118 seats on a washer 122, and this is held supported by transverse pin 124 connected to the lower part of shaft 74 above the lower bearing of the shaft.

It is now evident that upon energization of motor 92 and the motor which is connected with rotor 66, the panels 7% and 1.18 of rotor 68 and the panels of rotor 66 corresponding thereto, are caused to rotate in either the counterclockwise or clockwise direction. Since the panels are at right angles to each other an interesting and attractive display of the advertising materials on both sides of all panels of the two rotors is presented to the viewer.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In an exhibiting device, a cabinet having upper and lower walls, side walls and partitions extending between the upper and lower wall and forming compartments having open fronts, a rotor mounted in each compartment, each rotor comprising a vertical shaft located near and spanning the front of one of said open front compartments, a pair of ad displaying panels mounted on said shaft and arranged at right angles to each other and located in such relationship that said panels occupy different planes spaced longitudinally of said shaft, resilient shock absorbing means between said panels and on said shaft for urging said panels apart, abutment means fixed to the shaft above and below said panels, said resilient means urging said panels into driving engagement with said abutment means, said panels being of a length greater than the depth of the associated compartment and having end portions which pass through the open front of said compartment in response to rotation of said shaft due to the disposition of said panels on said shaft and the location of said shaft with reference to the open front of said compartment, a lower bearing carried by said lower wall and supporting the weight of said shaft and panels by having the lower end of the shaft mounted in said lower bearing, and a motor connected to the upper Wall and drivingly connected to the upper end of said shaft for rotating said shaft.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said abutment means includes flat surfaces, said panels having other flat surfaces urged by said resilient means into frictional driving engagement with the first mentioned flat surfaces whereby said surfaces may slip relative to one another for permitting relative rotation between said shaft and panels.

3. In an exhibiting device of the class described, a cabinet having at least one compartment embodying top, bottom, side and back walls and being unobstructedly open at the front, the interior of the bottom wall having an oil cup countersunk therein, a cover plate aflixed to a surface of the bottom wall in alignment with the cup and having a shaft opening registering with the cup, a bearing seat in said cup, a shaft passing vertically and downwardly through an opening in the top wall and having its lower end passing through the cover plate and seated in said seat, an electric motor mounted exteriorly of the top wall and operatively connected with the upper end of said shaft, a first ad carrying panel mounted on the lower part of the shaft and turnable with the shaft, a second panel having a median portion afiixed to the upper part of the shaft and operable in the upper half portion of said compartment, spring means surrounding the shaft and enclosed and interposed between adjacent edge portions of the panels, said panels being at right angles to each other and each panel being of a length greater than the depth of the compartment whereby an approximate half portion of the panel may be allowed to swing through the open front as the panels are rotated by way of thershaft.

References Cited the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Perry Aug. 15, 1950 

